Month: May 2015

In order to get the most out of Take Your Child to Work Day, Ford decided to break some records. Starting as the brainchild of technician Matt West, Ford recently broke the record for having the biggest Hot Wheels® loop in the world.

How big was it? The Ford Hot Wheels Record consisted of a 12-foot loop that was six-inches wide, according to Ford. In order to build the gigantic loop, engineers had to set it up in the three-story atrium located at the Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan. Believe it or not, this record beat its predecessor by over three feet.

“It started as part-fun, part-physics lesson with my son at home,” said West. “We built one in our playroom, and then built a five-foot-tall loop in our backyard. When people at Ford heard what we were up to, everyone thought it would be a great way to get young people excited about science and engineering by trying to break the world record on Take Your Child to Work Day.”

The trick to building this record-breaking loop was all in momentum: height doesn’t matter if the toy car can’t make it around. Although Ford didn’t measure the entire track, we at L&L Motors are told it was absolutely massive, consisting of a large wooden structure to help the Hot Wheels model make it through the massive loop.

Ford is stepping to the forefront of alternative clean energy by providing for its new 2016 Ford F-150 trucks to be converted to propane and compressed natural gas (CNG). Though oil prices are down, the interest in these cheaper fuels is on the rise—according to Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager.

“We surveyed customers likely to use natural gas or propane, and 72% told us they want to have these alternative-fuel capabilities available on F-150 with the 5-liter V8 engine,” Coleman said. “We expect the gaseous-fuel prep package will be even more popular than it was on the 2014 F-150 with the 3.7-liter V-6 engine.”

That also means that Ford will be offering the only half-ton on the road to be powered by CNG or propane fuels. Buyers will need to check the box to include the $315 factory-installed engine package then have a new fuel tank and fuel lines installed for a cost of between $7,000 and $9,500 depending on tank capacity.

New advances like the 2016 Ford F-150 alternative gas option make Ford the most exciting brand on the road. Stop by L&L Motors to see our full line of high-tech Ford cars and trucks.